Typically, carrier stock with individual container-receiving apertures for machine application to substantially identical containers is formed, as by diecutting, from a single sheet of resilient polymeric material, such as low density polyethylene. Typically, such stock is severable transversely, along perforated lines dividing certain band segments into half segments, so as to form individual carriers with separate apertures to receive the individual containers.
As disclosed in U.S. Pat. Application Ser. No. 07/51 858, supra, such stock can be advantageously provided with an integral handle along one lateral edge of each carrier. When a package comprising a number of individual containers (e.g., six, eight, or twelve containers) and such a carrier having such a handle is carried by the handle, certain band segments of the carrier tend to neck down or to break, namely the half segments where the carrier was separated from the preceding and succeeding carriers of the same stock. A perforated line produces stress concentrations, which are exacerbated if a transversely moving plow or other force-transmitting means is forced between the individual carriers. Such a means tends to produce small nicks or width reductions of the half segments.
As disclosed in U.S. Pat. Application Ser. No. 07/519,858, supra, tendencies of certain half segments to neck down or to break can be effectively countered by nubs formed along aperture-defining edges of those half segments, in carrier stock having integral handles joined to other band segments in a manner disclosed therein. This invention stems from an appreciation that such tendencies can be effectively countered by such nubs even if the integral handles are not joined to other band segments in the manner disclosed therein.